A press report has laid bare the tension between Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick and Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, following developments at the end of last season.
Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, who specialises in Barcelona news, claimed on Wednesday that Flick has completely lost trust in De Jong. The crisis peaked during the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final, when Atletico Madrid dumped Barcelona out of the competition.
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According to Romero, Flick wanted to start De Jong in the second leg after the player received medical clearance. The Dutch international refused, unwilling to take the risk, and the two fell out over it.
Now De Jong is hunting for a way out of Barcelona, with his relationship with Flick having turned bitter.
The Blaugrana midfielder is nursing a serious knee injury, picked up while on duty with the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup. He is weighing up surgery but delaying any decision, waiting to see how his future unfolds.